As a retailer of espresso machines, coffee makers, grinders, accessories and of course coffee, we clearly rely heavily on others in the coffee community. Since we would not be where we are today without the hard work of numerous people around the globe, we feel it is only to appropriate for us to do what we can to give back to the people who have helped generate our success. Thus, Seattle Coffee Gear is committed to charitable giving in the coffee communities that need it most. To facilitate this process we donate to Coffee Kids, a non-profit organization that supports coffee-farming communities in Latin America to contribute toward a better quality of coffee by investing in projects and education, food security, health care, capacity building and economic diversification. We have chosen to work with Coffee Kids due to the multi-pronged approach mentioned above and we appreciate the resources and expertise they put into reaching community goals. At the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) event, we were excited to come across the Coffee Kids booth, and chat with their Development Director, Elisa Kelly, who to learn more about their organization. Elisa explained that Coffee Kids was founded in 1988 by Bill Fishbein, and was originally started as a sponsor a child program, which is what inspired the name “Coffee Kids.” However, after a few years, Fishbein realized that the company’s dollars could go further if they were put into the hands of the community. As a result, he changed the company’s model, and Coffee Kids now focuses on funding projects at the base of these coffee families and communities, and putting the terms of development in their hands. These types of projects help ensure that coffee famers get the correct price for their coffee so they can continue producing quality beans. In addition, the programs provide farmers with the ability to start or expand their own small businesses so they can make a living and put food on the table year round. Clearly, Coffee Kids is doing great things to improve the lives and livelihoods of coffee-farming families. Check out of video to hear more of Elisa’s insights about the company.
